Sign mounting socket

ABSTRACT

THE INVENTION RELATES GENERALLY TO SIGNS USED IN RETAIL MERCHANDISING STORES SUCH AS DEPARTMENT STORES, AND IN PARTICULAR, TO THE MOUNTING OF SUCH SIGNS ON DISPLAY CASES. IT IS KNOWN TO EQUIP DISPLAY CASES AND COUNTERS WITH TUBULAR FRAME MEMBERS WHICH ARE FORMED OR ADAPTED TO HAVE SOCKETS INSERTED THEREIN AT DESIRED POINTS FOR RECEIVING SMALL SIGN CARRYING POLES. THIS INVENTION IS DIRECTED TO A SOCKET OF THIS TYPE WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH A SLIT TO FACILITATE ITS INSERTION AND RETENTION IN A TUBULAR FRAME MEMBER AND HAS A FORM OF TAPERED BORE FOR RECEIVING AND HOLDING SIGN POSTS.

y 23, 1972 J. G. FENWICK SIGN MOUNTING SOCKET Original Filed June 7, 1968 IN VENIUR JAY G. FENWICK Attorney United States Patent 3,664,617 SIGN MOUNTING SOCKET Jay G. Fenwick, Albert Lea, Minn., assignor to Streater Industries, Inc., Albert Lea, Minn. Continuation of application Ser. No. 735,454, June 7, 1968. This application Mar. 9, 1970, Ser. No. 17,029 Int. Cl. E04h 12/22 U.S. Cl. 248-38 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates generally to signs used in retail merchandising stores such as department stores, and in particular, to the mounting of such signs on display cases.

It is known to equip display cases and counters with tubular frame members which are formed or adapted to have sockets inserted therein at desired points for receiving small sign carrying poles. This invention is directed to a socket of this type which is provided with a slit to facilitate its insertion and retention in a tubular frame member and has a form of tapered bore for receiving and holding sign posts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 735,454, filed June 7, 1968.

This invention relates to signs of the type used in retail merchandising stores and in particular, to mounting sockets for receiving and holding poles upon which such signs are mounted.

Display cases and counters are presently used in retail stores which have tubular frame members which are formed or adapted to have sockets inserted therein at various points for receiving sign carrying poles. Sockets of the types shown in US. Pat. 3,296,725 are presently being sold and several types of sign poles are made and sold by different manufacturers.

The sign socket of the present invention is provided with a slot to facilitate its insertion and retention in a tubular frame member and has a unique form of tapered bore which functions to receive and securely hold a sign post having any form of tapered contour at its lower end.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A main object of the invention is to provide a new and improved sign post mounting socket of the type referred to above which (1) is easily inserted and removed from a tubular frame member, (2) is snugly secure when in its inserted position, (3) is adapted to receive and securely hold sign posts having any form of tapered end portion, and (4) is inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following specification and appended drawing in which a preferred form of the invention is illustrated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sign mounting socket embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the socket shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an elevation sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2 except that a form of tubular frame mem- 3,664,617 Patented May 23, 1972 her into which the socket may be inserted is shown with dotted lines.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the sign mounting socket there shown has two main portions which are a tubular and generally cylindrically shaped body portion 10 and an annular flange 12 which is integrally attached to the upper end of the body portion 10.

In FIG. 2 there is shown with dotted lines a tubular frame member 14 having a rectangular shaped cross section. The external surface of socket body portion 10 is cylindrically shaped and the upper and lower wall portions 16 and 18 of frame member 1 4 have vertically aligned circular openings 20 and 22 with diameters slightly larger than the diameter of body portion 10.

The upper portion of the socket has a longitudinally extending slot 24 which extends through the flange 12 and the upper part of the body portion 10. The slot 24 may be on the order of 0.15 inch in width.

Beneath and in axially spaced relation to the under side of flange 12 is a ring of four, circumferentially spaced nipple-like protuberances 26. The spacing between the flange 12 and the ring of protuberances 26 is approximately equal to the thickness of frame wall 16.

Slot 24 allows the socket tobe radially compressed and the insertion and retention of the socket in the frame member 14 is facilitated by this feature. The radial compressing of the socket *with a persons fingers permits its insertion, and the subsequent radial expansion of the socket serves to hold it in its inserted position. When in its inserted position the flange 12 and protuberances 26 thereof straddle the circular edge 20 of the frame member wall 16 so that the wall 16 functions as an abutment which resists axial movement or dislodgement of the socket in either axial direction.

Internally the socket has a cylindrically shaped bore 30 with four wedge shaped protuberances 32 extending radially inwardly therefrom at the lower end thereof. The protuberances or wedges 32 are identical to each other and are symmetrically arranged in spaced relation to each other. Each of the Wedges 32 has a flat surface 34 which merges with the cylindrical bore surface 30 and is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the socket. The wedge surfaces 34 are downwardly converging and in a broad sense form a downwardly converging tapered bore.

Sign posts (not shown) adapted to be used with the illustrated socket would have some form of tapered end portion having a taper angle equal to the effective taper angle presented by the wedges 32 and a shank portion having a diameter or rectangular section which is just slightly smaller than the diameter of the socket bore 30. In effect, the illustrated socket is universal in nature in that it accommodates several different forms of sign posts.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to only a preferred embodiment of the invention and that numerous modifications or alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A sign mounting socket adapted (1) for use with a tubular frame member having a rectangular cross section and at least one pair or aligned circular openings in the upper and lower walls thereof and adapted (2.) to receive a sign post having a tapered end portion, said sign mounting socket comprising a tubularly shaped body portion having a cylindrically shaped outer surface over the entire length of said body portion and a bore having a cylindrically shaped surface portion, said bore being open at both ends of said body portion, an integral annularly shaped flange surrounding one end of said body portion, and a plurality of four circumferentially spaced protuberances extending radially inwardly from said bore surface portion at the opposite end from said flange, said pro- 10 tuberances having flat downwardly converging surfaces for receiving in abutting engagement the tapered end portion of a sign post which is inserted into said bore from the direction of said flange end, and means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced nipples adjacent to and 15 cooperable with said flange for attaching said socket to said tubular frame member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,011,743 12/1961 Heath.

FOREIGN PATENTS 442,878 6/1912 France 211-695 WILLIAM H. SCHULTZ Primary Examiner 7 US. Cl. X.R. 248314 a 

